Review: Garth at Sprint, Day 3

While the rest of his industry was crowning royalty at the Country Music Association Awards show on Wednesday, Garth Brooks was in Kansas City.

"There's a big party happening in Nashville," yelled the man who recently overtook Elvis Presley as the best-ever record-seller. "The hell with that! It's happening here." Then he galloped into "Good Ride Cowboy."

The "it" he was talking about was his third show in as many nights at the downtown arena (with six to come over the next seven nights). Wednesday's show varied slightly from the other two, but it was also a lot like Monday's: explosive and loaded with floor-to-rafter sing-alongs.

The most blatant change/difference came during the opening set. Trisha Yearwood cut at least two songs off her show and turned the extra time over to "the cowboy," as she calls him. He spent the extra time wisely.

He started earlier than usual and promised the longest show of the week so far. And he delivered: 22 songs, including a long encore, and more than 145 minutes.

He shuffled his setlist, varying it from the previous two nights, but it still included mostly the same songs: "Two Pina Coladas," "The Beaches of Cheyenne," "Unanswered Prayers," "We Shall Be Free" and another barnstorming rendition of "Friends in Low Places." That song, and its sing-along, get better and louder every night.

As she did Tuesday, Yearwood joined her husband for a couple of songs: "In Antoher's Eyes" and "Walkaway Joe."

For his encore, Brooks performed another solo/acoustic medley of songs by people who had influenced him. This one included Simon & Garfunkel, Billy Joel, George Jones, Merle Haggard and Keith Whitley.  He ended the night like he did on Monday, with his band and the crowd joinining in on several verses and choruses of "American Pie."

If the festivities in Nashville were distracting him, Brooks didn't show it. Right before launching into "Papa Loved Mama," he reminded his fans that he knew he was scheduling these nine shows over the CMA Awards. Did it bother him?

"I'm right where I belong," he declared to a roaring crowd that spent all night making him feel at home.

| Timothy Finn, The Star

Setlist: The Fever; Good Ride Cowboy; Two Pina Coladas; Two of a Kind, Working' on a Full House;  Rodeo; The Thunder Rolls; The Beaches of Cheyenne; The River; We Shall Be Free; Unaswrered Prayers; If Tomorrow Never Comes; That Summer; Much Too Young (To Feel This Damn Old); More Than a Memory; Papa Loved Mama; In Another's Eyes (with Trisha Yearwood); Walkaway Joe (Trisha Yearwood), Calling' Baton Rouge; Friends in Low Places; The Dance.

Encore: Ain't Going Down (Til the Sun Comes Up). Medley: She Thinks I Still Care (George Jones); Mama Tried (Merle Haggard); Mrs. Robinson (Simon & Garfunkel), Wild World (Cat Stevens), Piano Man (Billy Joel), Turn the Page (Bob Seger), Amarillo By Morning (George Strait), 1982 (Randy Travis), Ten Feet Away (Keith Whitley), American Pie (Don McLean).

Comments

[crossingfirngers]

I hope the freaks that are abusing the rules by taking video recorders into the show don't ruin it for the rest of us who want to snap some stills.

[TimFinn]

From what I've seen, those are videos taken with cameras that are allowed in the place. I don't see them, anyway/anyhow, not allowing the "unprofessional" digital cameras in. They just want to prevent high-quality stuff being shot/recorded.

[Kris Enzlie]

Let me tell you folks, if you have never seen this man perform live, you are definitely missing the boat. Even to those that do not claim to be country fans, you need to find a way to buy a ticket and go see Garth, live. I am one that does not tune into country music all that often, but I do love a good show. This is BY FAR the best concert that money can buy. Tight music and good ol' sing along songs are one thing, but Blood Boiling Passion and a zest for living help to create an atmosphere unlike any other. Garth has the ability on stage to make 18,000 people (at one single moment) want to be better friends, fathers, mothers, brothers, sisters, sons, daughters and Americans. It is truly amazing. Our country needs more celebrities like Garth Brooks.

[Sliv]

Are we going to get an entry for every show Pumpkinhead does? Those of us who can remember when country was particulrly good there in the late 80's (Dwight Yoakam, Steve Earle, k.d. lang, Lyle Lovett, Foster & Llloyd, Desert Rose Band, the list goes on) haven't forgotten Mr. Brooks almost single-handedly turning the Country music landscape into he sort of homogenized pop-rock junk that it mostly is today (there are exceptions, of course - Gary Allan's new record is terrific as expected, Joe Nichols, Brad Paisley and Dierks Bentley are all doing great stuff - Carrie Underwood, sort of a pale photocopy of Faith Hill - not so much). Good for Mr. Brooks, selling out these shows and entertaining a ton of fans, and as was his standard, at a more than reasonable ticket price. I don't doubt that Mr. Brooks heart is is in the right place. I just wish his music was. Anyway, is this really still a story?

[T-Dev]

Sliv-

Its only a story if you click on the link.....

[Troy]

If you want to see an unbelievable country artist check out Vince Gill. His shows are just flat out great music, his voice is sensational and he is one of the greatest guitar pickers in country music history.

[Goin' to Garth!!]

I am so excited I can't stand it!! I am trying to find out exactly how far back my seats are. They are Floor Two Row 1. Does anyone know how may rows are in Floor A? I called the Sprint Center, but all the lady kept saying was "Wow,those are really good seats." I already know THAT! I have read on ticket sites that Floor A is rows C-E. That puts me 4 rows back. Can anyone tell me if this is true?

[crossingfingers]

I agree Vince Gill is an amazing picker and would love to see him in concert. Another one of my favorites, who seems to always put great musicians together is Allison Kraus. But Garth's show, man I tell you was terrific.

By the way, I took my camera and snapped some shots. Not sure how they turned out yet. I am going to download them from the camera as soon as I get off here!

PS, Here's what an amazing man Garth Brooks is. He signed one of his guitars ON STAGE and gave it to a woman sitting in about the fifth row for her birthday. WHAT A STUD!

[Stephanie Schnakenberg]

I was so excited to finally see the man himself.I had tickets long ago but had to cancel for a death in the family and told my son one day I'll get to go and finally on Friday the 9th was my night.We camped out all night to get our bands and were number 1 in the line.The 9th was also my birthday and I WAS THERE. It was the best thing I've ever seen in my life.Garth is really for his fans.I can't say enough HE IS THE BEST ENTERTAINER there ever was.I'm so glad you came back